1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to wound closure devices and in particular to a self-opening skin staple used to close wounds on a patient.
2. Description of Related Art
Existing skin staples, when engaged to the skin of a patient, are proximate the upper surface of the patient's skin and require a special extraction tool to extract the staple. Extraction of these staples requires that the tool be placed under the staple so that the legs of the staple can be forced open. This operation frequently causes significant pain to patients who are often already experiencing pain due to a recovering wound proximate the staple. A need therefore exists for an apparatus that has the wound closure abilities of a traditional skin staple, yet reduces the pain caused to a patient upon removal of the device.